Douglas Adams iconic story The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy continues with Arthur Dent’s (Simon Jones) comedic and intergalactic travels . The fourth episode aired on 26 January, 1981.

The gang are still on Magrathea and the reveal that mice were the ones who financed the planet Earth, and were conducting experiments there. Arthur confers with Slartibartfast (Richard Vernon) and learns that mice are pan-dimensional beings that were working to discover the answers to life, the universe and everything.

The book (voiced by Peter Jones) gives us the history of Deep Thought, the second greatest computer of all time, and it’s work to discover the answer to life, the universe and everything, something that the Earth was designed for by the mice.

Deep Thought says he can provide the answer, but it’s going to be a while, seven and a half million years to be exact. And what was that answer when it was revealed? 42. Deep Thought led the way for the super computer that was Earth, whose job it was to discover the question.

Arthur is reunited with Ford (David Dixon), Trillian (Sandra Dickinson) and Zaphod (Mark Wing-Davey) and Trillian’s mice, who were running the experiment. The mice are convinced Arthur has the question in his brain, and they want it.

But before a deal can be reached, much to Arthur’s relief, the group find themselves on the run from the galactic police. The episode closes out with explosions and gunfire, and the fate of our friends left in the air until…

Episode five aired on 2 February, 1981.

The explosion was caused by a computer blowing up, which triggers a temporal anomaly that sends the group to the end of the universe, and the restaurant there that caters to those who wish to dine, while watching the universe die out.

The book gives a hilarious explanation of how one books reservations for the restaurant, Milliways, and how you’d never bump into yourself no matter how many times you go.

Adams is brilliant, each iteration of this property is entertaining, and the wit that is prevalent in each of the scenes, the characters, and the dialogue guarantee that each time you explore it, you’re bound to laugh. It’s just so clever and playful.

And hey! There’s David Prowse as a The Bodyguard! And Peter Davison plays the Dish of the Day!

The group is reunited with Marvin the robot (voiced by Stephen Moore) who has been waiting eons for the gang to return to Magrathea. He’s been working in a car park and helps them steal a ship (which belongs to the band Disaster Area) to continue their run from the Galactic Police.

And no doubt find themselves in more trouble as we race to the final episode…

Episode six closed out the television adaptation of Douglas Adams’ classic sci-fi comedy on 9 February, 1981.

Having stolen Disaster Area’s stunt ship, the group soon find themselves in trouble as it’s programmed to dive right into the sun, as the climax to Disaster Area’s nearby concert. They seek to find a way to escape, and upon finding a teleport think they have a way out.

But one of them will have to stay to trigger the teleport. Everyone, look at Marvin.

With the depressed robot sacrificing himself, the rest of the group vanish just in time, and up spread across the galaxy! Arthur and Ford end up on an Arkship that is supposed to crash into its destination. It seems they’ve found the perfect planet…

It’s Earth, and this crash will be the dawn of man!

Arthur ends up home again, but millions of years before the bypass through his house, or planet will happen, so maybe he can finally relax, let go and enjoy life. Even if humanity mucks it all up again.

This is a damned fun series, and it just makes me want to read the book again, as well as dig into the radio version, which I’ve never heard. I really liked this one – the haphazard BBC effects, the acting, and of course, Peter Jones’ perfect delivery as the Book.